fails to sync wirelessly

Question

fails to sync wirelessly

Starting roughly with the release of iOS update 8.3 (speculation, I never did daily syncs but recently there were updates to iOS and to iTunes), my iPad now refuses to sync wirelessly. I double checked preferences (that have stayed the same for the past several years, i.e. sync wirelessly in the iPad settings). Yes, it will sync if I hard wire it, but that is a bit of a pain because I have to reach around to where the charger is plugged into A/C so I can take the USB end out to connect to the computer.

To trouble shoot further, I check my router and see that my iPad is definietly connecting to it (not to mention, the iPad sems to have no issues connecting to the Internet). I check the General setting on the iPad and it sedems to list my compyter's name, but it is grayed out as if it can;t actually "see" my desktop. I does list the last WiFi sync date (4/10/15). BUT when I run iTunes, it does not list the iPad as a device it can "see."

I know there have been times when syncing wirelessly broke, but what I recall is a fairly quick update to the OS solved the issue (back then). I see there are others having sync issues, although their details are a bit different from mine.

Mac Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9.5), Mid 2010, 6 core Westmere single CP

Posted on Apr 25, 2015 9:52 AM

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Answer 1

Demo

Level 10

166,494 points

Apr 25, 2015 10:01 AM in response to Riverside_Guy

You do realize that after you update the iOS, you have to sync with the cable again and then set up WiFi syncing after that, correct? You get that message when you update. Did you sync with the cable after you updated to iOS 8.3? If you did this (and forgive me if that's what you are saying and I'm reading it incorrectly), did you set up WiFi syncing again? Click On Sync over WiFi and click Apply?

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Answer 2

Apr 25, 2015 12:51 PM in response to Demo

While it is always possible I missed something, I do not recall any such message when I updated to 8.3 (it may have been there and I missed it). Frankly, no way am I convinced this was something I SHOULD have had to do!

I DO know that after I did the update, I went to Settings/General/iTunes WiFi Sync, the sync button WAS enabled, but clicking it gave an endless attempt to "find" my desktop... canceled it after it didn't connect. I did say I did a wire sync above ("Yes, it will sync if I hard wire it...")... to reiterate, yes I did a sync via wire this morning. NOW the section of iOS settings has the Sync button grayed out. There is no "Apply" to click on... it just says "Sync will resume when Paul's Mac Pro" is available" (which it is).

So, I again plug in the wire, see iTunes does NOT automatically launch like it usually does, yes I can click on the Sync button on the iPad, it takes almost no time at all, and says it was synced but after I "eject" via iTunes, we are back to the same thing... Sync button on the iPad grayed out, launch iTunes, the iPad is nowthere to be found.

Needless to say, having used Macs since May 1984, I'm not loving what they are doing in Cupertino software side much any more. After 8 major revisions of the OS, I NEVER should be having these kinds of issues.

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Answer 3

Demo

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166,494 points

Apr 25, 2015 6:56 PM in response to Riverside_Guy

Riverside_Guy wrote:

I DO know that after I did the update, I went to Settings/General/iTunes WiFi Sync, the sync button WAS enabled, but clicking it gave an endless attempt to "find" my desktop... canceled it after it didn't connect. I did say I did a wire sync above ("Yes, it will sync if I hard wire it...")... to reiterate, yes I did a sync via wire this morning. NOW the section of iOS settings has the Sync button grayed out. There is no "Apply" to click on... it just says "Sync will resume when Paul's Mac Pro" is available" (which it is).

I'm sorry that I wasn't clear on what you said or on what I said to you. When I talked about the Apply button, I meant when the iPad is connected to your Mac you can see it in iTunes. After you connect the iPad and then select it in the devices tab, you should see the sync button in the lower right corner. If you make any changes to your sync settings such as toggling WiFi sync off - you will see two buttons that show Apply or Revert.

Riverside_Guy wrote:

So, I again plug in the wire, see iTunes does NOT automatically launch like it usually does, yes I can click on the Sync button on the iPad, it takes almost no time at all, and says it was synced but after I "eject" via iTunes, we are back to the same thing... Sync button on the iPad grayed out, launch iTunes, the iPad is nowthere to be found.

If iTunes does not open automatically anymore for you when you connect the iPad, launch iTunes and go to iTunes>Preferences>Devices and uncheck the box at the bottom that says Prevent iPods, iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically. In my screenshot, I have the box checked because I do NOT want to sync automatically.

What I am suggesting is for you to sync with the cable, then toggle the WiFi option off in the Summary screen of iTunes. Click on the Apply button which you will see in the bottom right corner of iTunes, then click on the Sync over WiFi option to select it again, click on Apply again and then remove the iPad from the Mac. Unplug the cable and try to sync from iTunes - not from the iPad. Click on sync in the bottom right corner and see if it will sync.

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Answer 4

Apr 26, 2015 6:30 AM in response to Demo

First, I very much DO appreciate you efforts to try and help me out... makes me think of the early days of the machine and the user community (through which I was able to actually see the first Mac II color machine before most of the Apple staff in NYC had a chance to see it!).

Yes, I assumed that plugging it in via the wire would have automatically opened iTunes, just like plugging in my iPod does. Looking closer at your screen shot, I DO see that the "open iTunes when this iPad is connected..." is grayed out... somehow did not notice that on mine. So I did what you suggested, disabled sync over WiFi, then toggled it back on and BINGO... I can now launch iTunes and it "sees" the iPad! Funny aside, it was the quickest WiFi sync I've ever seen, of course, it has happened several times this morning in my attempts!

As for the second screen shot, I kinda do want automatic syncing (99% of iTunes being launched is to sync with my Pad or Pod) but I enabled that option to exactly match your settings. I unchecked it and the iPad will automatically sync when I open iTunes (tested and confirmed). What I find very interesting is you have multiple back-ups listed... I only have one, the latest one. AND your older backups sort to the top of the list because of the - ranking above the A... something they SHOULD fix as well (after all, the list name is chosen by them, not a big deal to slightly modify the sort for this specific list box).

Upshot is a HUGE thank you for sticking with me and getting the issue dealt with successfully.

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Answer 5

Demo

Level 10

166,494 points

Apr 26, 2015 10:17 AM in response to Riverside_Guy

I'm happy to hear that you got this resolved and it's my pleasure to help. I have multiple backups, because we have the ability to archive backups in iTunes on a Mac. If you want to save a backup, right click on the backup in that window and select Archive from the contextual menu. I save too many backups and should probably get rid of a few. I would most likely not want to use a backup that is a year old, but because I have no compelling reason, to delete them, I do hold on to them.

It is nice to be able to archive a backup so that you know that you have a good, solid backup wtih data and settings working just the way that you want them to work. If needed you can always go in and restore that backup. So what I do on occasion is to backup my device, archive the backup so that's it's not overwritten the next time that I backup, and I keep that archived backup just in case.

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Answer 6

Apr 26, 2015 10:19 AM in response to Demo

Ah, thought there was only one "live/incremental" backup, good to know, so again thanks for the info!

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